


I Got You, Babe

by whimsicality



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cole's continuing human education, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Nicknames are confusing, The Hissing Wastes are the worst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 07:21:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12316422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whimsicality/pseuds/whimsicality
Summary: Distractions are always welcome when wandering through the Hissing Wastes, and Cole is the best at distractions.





	I Got You, Babe

“I don’t understand,” Cole says and Helle turns to look at him with a small smile. Cole not understanding things usually leads to intriguing, and informative conversations and she always enjoys them. And anything is better than staring at one more inch of this stone-forsaken desert, even if the stars are pretty.

“You call me ‘baby boy’, and you call Sera ‘baby girl’.” he starts, and Helle has to bite back on a surprised laugh, shooting a quelling glance at the two following behind them. “And you call Dorian ‘babe’. They all sound the same, but they’re not.”

Sera is making a choking noise and Dorian is grinning, widely. Helle glares at both of them before taking a deep breath and turning back to Cole, who’s staring at her with wide, trusting blue eyes. “I know you know what nicknames are, remember what you said about Sera calling me Buckles?”

“He’d better remember. Ruined a perfectly good name is what he did,” Sera mutters and Helle holds in laughter with effort, the corners of her mouth crinkling.

“It’s a word that means something, means _someone_.”

“Yes. Baby boy, baby girl, and babe, are all like that, but less personal. Lots of people use them for people they care about.,” Helle explains, resisting the urge to flash an obscene gesture at Sera and Dorian, still grinning behind her, not wanting Cole to pick up on it. “People often use baby boy or baby girl when talking to someone they feel protective of, or who they think of as a childlike or innocent. But they can also be used for a romantic partner.”

She is _not_ going to go into the terms people use for sexual partners although, given his gifts, Cole probably understands more of that topic than any of them are prepared for.

“Babe can also be used for romantic partners, but I use it because Dorian and I are friends who like to tease each other.”

He’s clearly mulling over what she said and Helle frowns down at the endless waves of sand beneath their feet. Damn Venatori. Crawling all over Thedas like a mite infestation. She could have spent her whole life happily ignorant that deserts like this existed.

“Does that mean I can call Varric, babe?” Cole asks, breaking the silence, and Helle almost falls down the next dune. Sera and Dorian are engaging in a rare moment of physical contact, leaning against each other they’re laughing so hard and Helle’s eyes are watering from the force it’s taking to keep her face straight.

“Yes Cole, you can definitely do that.” And Helle will accept bribes for a seat in the room when he does. Varric’s face is going to be _priceless_.


End file.
